The present invention relates to electrical devices which can be electrically connected to a mounting structure in a manner that allows intimate contact between the electrical device and the mounting structure.
The present invention is particularly useful for electronic devices which carry both high current rated leads and low current rated leads. Standard electronic packages which are rated at 50 amps or above typically have large lugs to carry these high levels of current. Standard electronic packages which are rated at less than 50 amps typically have wire leads which are to be soldered to printed circuit boards. If such packages can be properly cooled, they can carry larger amounts of current.
It has been difficult in the past, however, to mount such packages to provide proper electrical connections and at the same time provide adequate cooling for the packages. This problem is particularly acute when the electrical package, such as an insulated gate bipolar transistor, has both high and low amperage leads. The high amperage leads may carry current as high as 50 or more amperes and must be attached to large bus bars. The low amperage leads, on the other hand, carry typically less than 3 amperes and must access a printed circuit board. A mounting arrangement must be provided for allowing the high amperage leads to be connected to the large bus bars and the low amperage leads to be connected to printed circuit boards while at the same time facilitating intimate physical engagement with a cooling surface for cooling the electrical package.